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chicago family photographers | fun in the sun.

April 21st, 2012

You know sometimes you meet people who you just instantly click with and you want to hang out with again and again? Though I often find myself saying that about our clients, this family definitely fell into that category for me after first meeting them but a couple of weeks ago (and I was lucky enough to convince mom to hang out with me once more since then!).

When I first spoke to mom we were practically finishing each other’s sentences about our ideas for where and when to meet for pictures..

“I’m thinking something out in nature, in Spring-”

“Ooh you know I’ve been dying to do pictures outside in the daffodil glades that bloom for a few weeks in Spring, let’s – ”

“At the arboretum? Oh my gosh that’s exactly what I was thinking! Yes!”

Or so that’s generally how our initial conversation started :)

And then the day of our session arrived… and it rained. *sigh*

So we pushed back our date to meet up and we were lucky enough to finally get a bright, sunny morning to play around outside in our daffodils like we had all envisioned (as I always tell clients, these pictures are yours to treasure for life so good weather is absolutely worth waiting for!).  We played among the flowers, gave each other lots of kisses and tickles (well, they did all the work on that one), laughed (a LOT), and when it when all said and done I even convinced mom to come have a playdate with me and my ‘babies’ ;) (see below) One of my favorite parts about getting to know this family was how unbelievably sweet and adoring Addison was on her baby brother Ethan.  Before our session, when mom described her session vision to me she said she wanted to mostly capture the kids with just a few family shots in between.  She said “my daughter adores my son. People comment on it all of the time and I would really love to capture that affection and bond between the two of them.” :) For a family photographer to hear that is like winning the jackpot.  Siblings’ affection and interaction isn’t something that photographers can just make happen.  Though we can certainly coach kids into doing something that looks good on camera, you just can’t fake that kind of bond between brothers and sisters.  And mom wasn’t exaggerating at all as Addison truly loves her baby brother more than anything in the world.

Anyway, here are but a few of my favorites from our time that day so you can see for yourself just how much fun I had.  A big thank you again to this family for making it a really wonderful morning and for allowing me to capture them and all their awesomeness XO

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above: Hard to believe these daffodils come and go so quickly. I went back to the same spot but a week later and most of them were already wilted away.. I suppose that’s part of what makes them so special. 

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(below) A few from our playdate with her babies and ‘mine.’ ;)  

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above (right): I just loved Addison’s messy side pony.. a staple of every little girl’s childhood! 

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above: this shot is just pure perfection for me. I love how you can see how gentle Addison is holding lil’ Suzy, how her (or his?) webby feet are just dangling out of relaxation, and Addison’s wispy hair all over the place.. love love love. I’ve already ordered an 8×10 print for my office to remember my time with the duckies by :)  

 

 

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chicago lifestyle photographers | instagram rules.

April 18th, 2012

I’m quite certain most of you are familiar with this smart phone app but I just now finally took the plunge and became an Instagram user.  And let me tell you, after just a few weeks of using it and I am totally hooked.  Instagram is the most amazing app in the world and I highly recommend you download it.. like.. now :)  It’s an app that allows you to create beautiful artwork out of every day moments. You snap a pic or upload one that’s already in your phone’s picture gallery and then add a number of different effects to it.. b&W, vintage, ultra contrast, add some selective blur, keep it normal, give it a border.. you name it!  And even better, you can either choose to keep your images private or you can add friends to your watch list and it’s sort of like a photo-only Facebook but far more simple.  What’s cooler – having your newsfeed be filled with lame posts of people griping about how it snowed 2 feet orrrr having it be filled with each different perspective of what people are doing at that same exact time?  I also love that it uses the convenience of your iphone so literally you can take a picture of just about anything because let’s face it, who doesn’t have their iphone just sitting in their pocket at all times? It allows you to capture moments that you might have missed if waiting to use your big clunky DSLR or the point and shoot that didn’t even get the exposure bright enough anyway (you ever try shooting an insanely beautiful moment that’s backlit by strong sunlight with a point and shoot that has no ability to manually control your settings? so frustrating).  I love Instagram so much I’ve started recommending it to my clients for their every day pictures too (if you’ve had a session with me, ask me how to incorporate your own Instagram artwork into your family’s Simply by Suzy keepsake album!).

Don’t believe me yet how much fun and awesome Instagram is? Here’s some of my own pics that I’ve taken of my ‘every day life’ using instagram, and feel free to even follow me @simplybysuzy.

What’s your Instagram @name?  Comment below with it and I’ll follow you too!

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chicago pregnancy photographers | spring blooms.

April 16th, 2012

Although I normally don’t blog my pregnancy sessions until baby arrives, I was so excited to see this family not long ago and couldn’t resist sharing a few ‘ahead of schedule.’  Not only are mom & dad old friends of mine that I haven’t seen in ages but they won this session with me through a facebook contest I did a while back!  I recall giving away a free Simply by Suzy session to one of our facebook fans to celebrate our first birthday last year and was beyond psyched when I found out who won, and so thankful we waited it out a bit because what was originally intended to be a family photography session for three ended up being.. a pregnancy & family photography session for four ;)  I also thought this was a great example to share and talk about how to get the most out of hiring a custom baby family photographer to photograph your own family – maintaining open communication about your needs and style as a client.  For my friends I can honestly say I would have done something totally different but after hearing mom’s detailed vision for her session and what she hoped I would capture, my own artistic vision completely changed.    She told me how she pictured images among nature to incorporate the blooming springtime since their family was blooming with its own new beginnings.. how much she loved the photographs in my portfolio depicting expecting mothers out in the woods.. she told me all about her sweet Owen who just turned two not long ago and the things she wanted to remember most about him at this point in his babyhood.  And after it’s all said and done, I couldn’t be more pleased with the direction that I was taken in with this session and I am even more grateful to have been able to reconnect with them. I can’t wait to return and meet their newest little one in just a few months :)

Anyway here are my favorites from our time together playing in the forest.  Thank you so much again Anna, Ray and Owen for spending an afternoon with me and my baby duckies.  I (we) had the best time ever and I am so excited to see you all again soon! XO

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above: Bugsy likes his belly rubbed :) (no, seriously he does!) 

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above: from left to right… lil’ Suzy, Bugsy, and D(uck) Rose. 

 

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chicago baby & family photographers | 6 months in spring.

April 14th, 2012

I feel that the families I work with time and time again, each session becomes even more magical than the last somehow.. or so was the thought I kept reflecting on as I edited this session.  I’ve been working with this family now since baby William was but a dream in all of our minds at his mom’s pregnancy session and have visited him once again every 3 months since (birthnewborn & 3 months).  This time I returned to see them and capture Will now that it’s Spring and he’s 6 months old and can practically sit up all on his own (I’m happy to report that not one hair has grown on his head since then – seriously what is sweeter than an adorable, big blue-eyed bald baby?).  We went outside the city a little to enjoy some fresh air and glades of daffodils… we read books together and played peek-a-boo.. we laughed, we cried .. we had a really great time :)

And when the sun set and our play date was over, I returned a few days later to hang out at home and capture all those tiny baby bits of his that are growing so fast.

Thanks so much again Will and your family for letting me in to capture your most special moments, and I can’t wait to see you again for summer at 9 months! XO

PS William’s grandma made the adooorable green sweater he’s seen wearing in this session and the beautiful blue quilt (actually she makes all of my quilts!).  She is soo so talented and I highly recommend having her make either a keepsake quilt for your little one (she also makes smaller ones that hang up in nurseries as a piece of artwork) or even she makes fabulous knitted custom outfits for babies that photograph really beautifully.  And with that, I’m thinking I may have to do a little blog on her and her work soon.. :) Email me at info@simplybysuzy.com if you want me to send you some of her cards! 

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chicago newborn family & birth story photographers | harper adelaide.

April 12th, 2012

Though I’ve come across many baby names I adore, I think it’s official… I’ve found the perfect baby name – Harper Adelaide.

Vasili and I visited this bunch not long ago to help capture their Harper’s debut, who totally lived up to her perfect name with her perfectly sweet and sleepy personality (she slept so soundly I literally think we could have worked with her all day!).  And this session was just that much more special to me as I had just spent oodles of time with mom & dad in the months leading up to Harper’s arrival as I documented her entire birth story from belly to birth and beyond.  For me there were two highlights to this session.. the first was when we got Harper sleeping in a basket of mom & dad’s tandem bicycle as mom had specifically requested we try this shot.  As a photographer there is nothing more satisfying than hearing the gasp and seeing the look on a parent’s face when we capture something so special to them.. this was totally one of those moments :) Another favorite for me was all the shots I got of Harper nursing with mom and hanging out with their two pups, Gracie & Gretchen.  Every time my own mom would go through my baby books with me as a kid she always would stop at the ones of me nursing.. she would trail her fingers across the picture and smile as I could see her reliving the memory in her mind.  There is something so special about feeding time with our little ones (and yes, whether it’s with a boob or a bottle ;) ), and it’s absolutely one of the things I look forward to most about having children of my own.

Anyway, without further ado, here are but a few of my favorites from our time with Miss Harper and her family (be sure to check back to see her entire birth story!).  Thank you so so much again to her parents for allowing us the privilege and honor of getting to know them and documenting the birth of their family XO

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above: Mom specifically requested this shot as they had a tandem bike which held sentimental value to them.  I was excited when she sent me a picture to show her vision and it was a photograph taken by my friends and the ladies who trained me over at Baby as Art in Southern California. 

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above: such a moment of sweet relief.. this picture always makes my heart melt :)  

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